ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has declared that the Simla Agreement no longer holds any significance, and that the Line of Control (LoC) has reverted to its original status as a ceasefire line.
Asif stated that the Simla Accord was strictly a bilateral agreement between Pakistan and India, with no involvement of the World Bank or any third party. He explained that with the accord no longer in effect, the LoC automatically becomes a ceasefire line, which was its original status after 1948.
He argued that India’s recent actions have rendered the Simla Accord meaningless, and that Pakistan is now returning to its 1948 position, when the line was internationally referred to as a ceasefire boundary. He added that the importance of such agreements diminishes if violations and unilateral changes by one side continue unchecked.
Asif also addressed the Indus Waters Treaty, stressing that no party can exit the treaty unilaterally. He emphasized that all decisions under the treaty must be mutual. He criticized India for releasing water at will—sometimes 6,000 cusecs, sometimes 25,000 cusecs—and warned that India cannot block or control the flow of water arbitrarily.
The Simla Agreement, signed in 1972 after the Indo-Pak war, was aimed at resolving disputes, including Kashmir, through peaceful, bilateral means. Asif’s remarks signal a significant departure from that framework, amid worsening tensions between the two neighbors.